widespread that the program should be done away with, i think might be a little overstated. host: now to concerns about the connecting of the internet to rural areas, a lease rights in on twitter, i guess we should have skipped the rural electrification, too, and let businesses operate by candlelight. guest: the federal government provided for electrification to rural areas because it was deemed a necessity. just like water service was built out and provided to rural areas, electricity was provided, and now communications services that serve the public interest. that is the mandate they wrote into law to guide the fcc. is it in the public interest

for people in rural areas to hospital, their local government services, family members, and others? the fcc is under both republican and democratic chairman have said yes, it is. host: on twitter -- are there steps you can give about where this program is most use? and the roleline internet connections? on the fcc website, the their reports on all these programs a go into great detail about where they're

provided, how much, and where. universalder the service administrative company and their required to disclose where and who gets the service. that is how they have found out through these reforms, that there were a number people getting the service who were not qualified. as withgo to fcc.ogv, oft things, and the pages material and statistics, the universal service fund, enter that into the search box, the universal service fund, and it will take you to the pages. host: stats from the universal service administrative program. 110 million lines supported for the program. we talk about the life line

that is $7.50and billion supporting 13 million lines for that program. those stats are available at universal service administrative company. .inda from no. tennessee good morning. caller: the states have the ability to override the fcc regulations for lifeline, or any of these funds? the tennessee state legislature, no wonder there -- now under the hasrol of the republicans just passed the senate bill 1180 that seems to throw out the law for them to have this in tennessee. they talk about regulated carriers who are not required to go into any geographic area that they have to file a notice for,

for any existing programs to be terminated after 60 days. it looks like they just decided to opt out of this for the whole state. i looked this up on the internet, but comcast wants to charge $80 a month for internet, $1,000 per year, and there is no way that we're ever going to be able to absorbent additional $1,000 per year in costs. particularly aware of the tennessee legislation, but as with highway funding, i believe that some elements, it is eight small way of subsidizing telephone service. >> "washington journal" airs live every morning at 7:00 a.m. the house is coming back to consider bills for using the

national parks for special events. questions will be taken later. for what purpose does the gentleman from pennsylvania seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i move to suspend the rules and passion house concurrent resolution 18. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the document, the concurrent resolution. the clerk: house calendar number 9, house concurrent resolution 18, concurrent resolution authorizing the use of the capitol grounds for the national peace officers' memorial service. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from pennsylvania, mr. barletta, and the gentleman mr. nolan, will each control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from pennsylvania. mr. barletta: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on house concurrent resolution 18. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. barletta: thank you, mr.

speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. barletta: house concurrent rule 18 would authorize use of the capitol grounds for the national peace officers' memorial service on may 15, 2013. i am pleased to be the sponsor of this important resolution, along with the gentlewoman from the district of columbia, ms. norton. in 1962, may 15 was designated by president kennedy as peace officers' memorial day, and a week in which it falls as police week. the memorial service began in 1982 as a gathering in senate rk of just 120 survivors and supporters of law enforcement. today, national police week draws tens of thousands of law enforcement officers and their supporters from around the world who travel to the nation's capital to participate in events that honor our fallen

officers. the national peace officers' memorial service, which is sponsored by the grand lodge of the fraternal order of police, is one in a series of events which includes the candlelight vigil and seminars. tragically, over 126 federal, state and local law enforcement officers were killed in the line of duty last year. these are brave men and women of law enforcement who put their lives on the line every day. among the fallen officers to be honored include five that served in my home state of pennsylvania. officer bradley michael fox, who is from plymouth township police department which is actually part of my district, pennsylvania's 11th. trooper first class blake coble, pennsylvania's state police. patrolman avery freeman,

chester police department. officer brian l. lorenzo, philadelphia police department. and officer moses walker jr., philadelphia police department. these officers, along with more than 100 others, who lost their lives in 2012, will be remembered at this service. these officers made the ultimate sacrifice in serving our country and our communities. i urge my colleagues to support passage of this resolution. thank you and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from minnesota is recognized. mr. nolan: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. nolan: thank you, mr. speaker. and congratulations, congressman barletta, for sponsoring this resolution, enabling this important

memorial service to go forward. you're to be commended for it, and i'm honored to be able to stand here on behalf of the minority and offer our support for the resolution. house concurrent resolution 18, as you just said, authorizes the use of the capitol grounds for the 32nd annual national peace officers' memorial service on may 15 on the west front of the u.s. capitol. this is a solemn and respectful public event honoring local and federal enforcement officers who sacrificed their lives in the line of duty. one of those brave public servants was cold spring, minnesota, police department officer thomas "tommy" decker, who was shot and killed while checking on the welfare of a citizen in an important in cold spring, minnesota, on november 29, 2012. officer tom decker was a six-year veteran and a father of four. he was a 2002 graduate of

alexandria technical college in minnesota where he received an associate law degree in law enforcement. officer decker worked in the city of isle, the city of watkins and the city of kimball, all in minnesota, before joining the cold spring police department full time in march of 2006. according to the national law enforcement officers' memorial fund, officer decker was one of 129 brave men and women killed in the line of duty last year. of those traffic-related incidents led to the death of 50 officers while 49 died from firearm-related causes. in all, more than 19,000 law enforcement officers have given the ultimate sacrifice while on duty since the first law enforcement death was recorded

in 1719. the national peace officers' memorial service is a fitting tribute to the 900,000 current law enforcement officers and all federal, state and local police officers who do the often dangerous and always necessary work of protecting our families, our homes and our workplaces. we honor these officers and their families on capitol grounds for the sacrifices they have made to maintain the peace in communities all across america. consistent with all capitol hill events, the memorial service will be free and open to the public. i strongly support this resolution and urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this tribute to our fallen law enforcement officers. mr. speaker, thank you and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from minnesota reserves. the gentleman from

pennsylvania. mr. barletta: mr. speaker, i have no other speakers at this time. if the gentleman from minnesota is prepared to yield back the balance of his time -- mr. nolan: i am. yield back the balance of my time, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from minnesota yields back. the gentleman from pennsylvania. mr. barletta: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, in closing, law enforcement all over the country every day go to work to protect us -- protect our neighborhoods, our communities always knowing they may not return home that night. i think this is very fitting that we honor the men and women who keep this country and our communities safe. mr. speaker, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass and agree to house concurrent resolution 18. those in favor say aye.

those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 having responded in the affirmative -- mr. nolan: mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i request the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays are requested. all those in favor of taking this vote by the yeas and nays will rise and remain standing until counted. a sufficient number having arisen, the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this otion will be postponed. for what purpose does the gentleman from pennsylvania seek recognition? mr. barletta: mr. speaker, i move to suspend the rules and ass house concurrent resolution 19. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. the clerk will report the title of the concurrent resolution. the clerk: house calendar number 10, house concurrent resolution 19, concurrent resolution authorizing the use of the capitol grounds for the greater washington soapbox derby. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the

gentleman from minnesota, mr. barletta, and the gentleman from -- the gentleman from pennsylvania, mr. barletta, and the gentleman from minnesota, mr. nolan, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from pennsylvania. mr. barletta: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and tend their remarks and include extraneous material on house concurrent resolution 19. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. barletta: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. barletta: house concurrent resolution 19 would authorize the use of the capitol grounds for the greater washington soapbox derby on june 15, 2013. i want to thank the gentleman from maryland, mr. hoyer, for introducing this resolution. he's been a longtime supporter of this event and the children involved each year. this event occurs annually on the capitol grounds. the soapbox derby allows children to show off their dedication, work and creativity

as they compete for trophies. the winners of each division are qualified to compete in the national all-american soapbox derby held in akron, ohio. i support passage of this resolution. thank you and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from minnesota. mr. nolan: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. . the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized. mr. nolan: mr. speaker, i was delighted to learn today from my son michael who is in the gallery with us here today that -- who was visiting us -- that while we're looking at 40-mile-per-hour winds and blizzard conditions back in minnesota, the snow is piling up but my son's good friend and co-worker toby wooden, along with other kids and dads in our hometown, are bundled up in

their garages and in their basements as we speak designing and building their ultimate speed machines, the soapbox racers, getting themselves ready for the exciting annual experience. i personally have nothing but e fondest memories of long hot summer days, scrounging the neighborhood for old wagon wheels, axels, two-by-fours, thin sheets of tin or aluminum. as all of our kids in the neighborhood scrambled to build our soapbox racers for the annual summer races down cemetery hill. these races were never formally recognized by the proper authorities, i must admit. in fact, we were frequently chased out of the cemetery by the superintendent and his sbord nantz as well as -- sbord nantz as well as being chased off the city streets by the local police who no doubt had

our personal safety and the public safety in mind at the time. but law enforcement and the establishment never stopped us from enjoying those annual summer races. it was nothing but pure creative, constructive, exhilarating joy and pleasure that we experienced in our sole box derby racers -- sope derby race -- soapbox derby racers. so with those days in mind, i too am delighted to support house concurrent resolution 19, ex tendsing proper recognition -- extending proper recognition in authorizing the use of the capitol grounds for the greater washington soapbox derby on june 15 of this year. i would also like to acknowledge the steadfast support of this event by mr. hoyer who has truly been a champion for his constituents in this regard. this bipartisan resolution has the support of the entire d.c. area delegation.

on the date of the event, soapboxers from the greater washington area will race down constitution avenue to test their craftsmanship and their courage in soapbox derby racing. children between the ages of 8 and 17 will be competing for the opportunity to race in the national all-american soapbox derby held every august in akron, ohio. consistent with all events using capitol grounds, this event is open to the public and free of charge. the organizers will work with the capitol police and the architect of the capitol to organize the details of the event. mr. speaker, i support house concurrent resolution 19 and urge passage of this resolution. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. members are remind thrad it is a violation of the rules of the house to bring to the attention of the house occupants of the

gallery. the gentleman from pennsylvania. mr. barletta: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i continue to reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. mr. nolan: mr. speaker, i yield to mr. hoyer. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from maryland is recognized. mr. hoyer: thank you, mr. speaker. and i thank mr. nolan for yielding, congressman nolan, who was in this body before i was and before you were and before mr. barletta was. he's been in public service for a very long period of time. and therefore i appreciate the remarks he made in support of this resolution. mr. speaker, i rise in strong support of this resolution which i am proud to have sponsored for the last 22 years. it alowls the greater washington soapbox derby association to hold its 2nd annual competition on the grounds of this capitol. this is a longstanding tradition which brings young

people ages 8 to 17 and their families from around the d.c. metro area to the capitol for a fun and educational experience. since 1938 the derby has inspired thousands of the region's young people to learn the physics behind gravity racing and the engineering used to design soapbox racers. america's soapbox derby has been called the greatest amateur racing event in the world. and on june 15 it will continue to make history. the derby teaches sportsmanship, hard work and pride of accomplishment and it imbues its young participants with that same spirit of innovation that has long fueled america's greatness. young people who participate in these derbies are often sponsored by community groups, police departments, fire departments and others who want to invest in our country's future and a very direct and

meaningful way -- in a very direct and meaningful way. every year i am incredibly proud of my constituents from maryland's fifth district who participate. a number of soapbox derby champions have come from the fifth district, including the 2009 s of the 2007, 2008, and last year. the winners in 2007 and 2008, kasey rader and courtney rail, respectively went on to win the national soapbox championship. as an aside, mr. speaker, i was hoping to be able to say that about the maryland tar pips this year but that -- tarapins this year but that apparently won't be the case. last year's winners from the fifth district were brittany sorely and brandon sorely of waldorf who won the masters and superstock divisions. i want to thank the members who were co-sponsored this

resolution. representatives injury connolly, don edwards, eleanor holmes norton, john delaney and my classmate in this congress who came with me to congress in the 97th congress, my deer friend, frank wolf, and i would urge all might have colleagues to support this resolution and i thank mr. nolan and mr. barletta for bringing this resolution to the floor and i yield back the balance of my time. to mr. nolan. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from minnesota. mr. nolan: mr. speaker, we have no other speakers so we yield back the balance of our time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from pennsylvania. mr. barletta: i'd like to thank the gentleman from minnesota for his support and also the gentleman from maryland for introducing this very important resolution and for what it means for so many across our country. mr. speaker, i have no other speakers and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the question is will the house suspend the rules and agree to house concurrent resolution 19.

those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended -- mr. barletta: mr. speaker, i ask for the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays are requested. all those in favor of taking this vote by the yeas and nays will rise and remain standing until counted. a sufficient number having arisen, the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this otion will be postponed. the chair lays before the house a communication. the clerk: the honorable the speaker, house of representatives, sir, pursuant to the permission granted in clause 2-h of rule 2 of the rules of the u.s. house of representatives, the clerk received the following message

from the secretary of the senate on march 18, 2013, at 2:34 p.m.. appointments, world war i centennial commission. international conferences, meeting and negotiation sessions relating to trade agreements. with best wished i am, signed, sincerely, karen l. haas. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to clause 12-a of rule 1, the house will stand in recess subject to the call of

>> committee chair paul ryan's budget plan comes up this week. hear a veryting to spirited debate both in the senate and house. we will have republicans and differenton very sides of which should be done. >> how does paul ryan's budget compared to the democratic proposal? cut spending a lot more. the's budget would reduce deficit by almost $6 trillion in 10 years. reduce ay budget would little under $2 trillion in 10 years.

>> what other groups are offering their own budget plan docks water they likely to focus on? >> -- who will be issuing their own budget plans? budget will be similar to patty murray's budget in the senate. increases,ave tax but neither would balance the budget in 10 years. also the congressional black caucus and the congressional progressive caucus will be introducing budget. it's possible a ryan version could be introduced in the senate. >> what is likely to happen in the senate this week? >> it will be democrats making the case for the patty murray budget.

convince someto democratic senators who may not support that budget. they will have to sell it to democratic senators as well as republicans. no republicans are likely to vote for the budget. they will be calling for more spending cuts, no tax increases, balancing the budget sooner. >> republicans say this to be the first time in four years they have agreed to put forward a plan. why is this your difference? are a number of different things. there is a law that was passed that the members of congress will not get paid unless the have a budget resolution. , the debtwo years limit law basically established discretionary spending amounts, so you technically did not need a budget the last couple of

years. also, democrats in the senate have been getting hammered for not introducing a budget resolution. they finally decided that it is in their interests to have a plan this year. >> with all the work on the various budget proposals, what is the end game? what's next? probably be some attempt to get a compromise between house and senate budget resolutions. it's very unlikely they will be able to compromise because they are so far apart. there are some commonalities in these budgets, even though there are great differences between them. these two plans could be the beginning of a bigger agreement over the next several months. the debt ceiling will have to wait until sometime this summer and these plans could become part of a larger plan to raise

the debt ceiling. krazak from cq roll call. >> starting tonight at 9:00 p.m. eastern, our first lady series continues with a look at the lives of elizabeth monroe and louisa out front -- adams. on c-span [applause] , "the communicator's." , discussingn3 policy and the future of afghanistan. now, remarks from joint chiefs of staff chairman martin dempsey on the future of the persian gulf sharing his thoughts on u.s. engagement in the region held by the center for strategic studies, this is 50 minutes. [applause]

you, doctor. if i could return some of the kind words, he has been one of those individuals in my life, whenever i had a particularly ,exing challenge, which is neary whether i was the acting commander or chief staff, i could call them up and he could gather a group together and let me hang around some of our most complex problems. i appreciate -- it is good to see you again, sir. ambassador is, especially the future diplomats of our world, those of my generation hoping to wrap this and a little bow and hand it to you. do not count on that, why we are encouraged when i travel around and visit those who have agreed to dedicate their lives into the

diplomatic corps, in all of our --ntries, and i think this there is reason for optimism there. ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon. and thank you for having me today, especially the ambassadors. it is a good to see you again so soon. just the other night, the ambassador received the distinguished diplomat service award from the world affairs council. he earned it by bringing the united arab emirates and united states closer together. his acceptance speech that night was terrific. to cede themart beced floor to him right now. answer i will have him the questions. i asked you prepare for that. this series today is something

we might consider to be a modulus for the might fall is liable for thinking about the challenges and opportunities we face in the gulf region and for that matter throughout the world. much of my own life, family's wife, has been spent in and shaped by the region. before commanding central command, i lived and worked in iraq and saudi arabia. i have been to the region to times since i became the chairman. theof these experiences and many friendships and relationships that go with them are part of who i am. with that in mind, i came here today but the message of assurance, a little peace of mind in that context of uncertainty. or, as put by an american

humorist, who wrote in chicago at the end of the 19th century, i am here to afflict the comfortable at the comfort the afflicted. we face real danger at a time when resources are in decline, and this should worry most of us. at the same time, we are not a nation, nor a military, in decline. we have it within us to stay strong to remain a global leader, and a reliable partner. and this should comfort you. or you might be skeptical a bit and question how these opposing ideas can coexist. i concede there is room for debate there. allow me to share at what is on by my before hearing what is on your mind. i will start with what we might all need a little bit of insurance, and that is -- of

assurance, and that is risk. you have heard these commercials for that insurance companies and they describe may hand. mayhem inan actor is all its forms. it might be a driver's blind spot or a loosely tied christmas tree on the hood of a car, and emotional teenager -- and by the way, i think is there any kind of teenager -- any other kind a teenager? -- and mayhem prevails and the message is you need to have insurance against mayhem, because mayhem is already appeared in some ways that feels a bit like the world we confront today, but uncertain and dangerous. i will concede not everyone agrees with that way to categorize the world. by some accounts we are

experiencing an evolutionary low point in human of violence. that is good news, and we would like that trend to continue. in fact, i would suggest our military serves some of the credit for that evolutionary low level of violence. we helped prevent conflict by deterring aggression and by assuring our partners. our presence is a source of stability that feels economic growth. this is true in the middle east as it is in the far east. for the bad news, less violence does not necessarily mean less danger. risk is on the rise. that is to say i think the probability of an consequences of aggression are going up, as a result of a few trends. for one, power is shifting below and beyond the state. it is said that

power is actually taking. separate and different think tank, but i wanted to quote him find -- because i find argument persuasive. the shift in power is spawning more actors that are more connected, and many of them are more capable and more willing to do us harm. the shift is also changing their relationship in many parts of the world between government and the governed. new social contracts are being negotiated in the street. we're witnessing the birth of citizenship in many parts of the middle east. at the same time advanced technologies are proliferating down and out. military's now have intercontinental ballistic missiles. cyber has reached a point where ases can be as destructive bombs. our home where land is not the sanctuary at once was.

unlike that famous story of a fisherman in the tale of the arabian nights, which will not be putting that genie back in the bottle. mayhem is here to stay. but money is not pick in a -- thehave begun to deductible on our insurance policy has gone up. we understand why. our nation is going to an historic fiscal correction. we're working to restore the economic foundation of our power, and we need to do this. deficit reduction is a national security apparent. but we need to be -- we need to be a lot smarter about how we go about it. it is worth noting we have not had a budget since the time -- since i became the chairman of the joint chiefs and some time before that. sequestration is the most irresponsible way possible to manage the nation's defense. it is actually the antithesis of what we need.

when the budget certainty and flexibility. sequestration compromises our readiness and compounds risk. left unaddressed, it could lead to a security gap, a lapse in coverage against threats to our national security interests. it is also the law. i'm hopeful but not optimistic that both its magnitude will be defused in the budget deal appeared in the meantime we have no choice but to prepare for its effect, which is our worst-case scenario. are you feeling afflicted? if you are, you're in good company. let me tell you this. the coverage, to continue my insurance metaphor, maybe a little less than what you were used to, but it is still the best available. and it is going to get better in time. here is where i hope my confidence bring some comfort. last week i called our joint

chiefs and our combatant commanders to discuss how we will lead to this latest contraction, and it is the latest contraction. it is a bit of a historical pattern. in that room, where over 600 years of military experience was around the table, i thought we looked pretty good for our age. you may have noticed some of the sink you watched us testify before congress on the hill. let me tell you what you did not see in that group or would not have seen. you would not have seen weakness, and you would not have heard a chorus of decline. this is a resolute lunch. just as those young men and women who we serve out on point for our nation are resolute. they have the courage to make the difficult choices about our investments, about our people, and about our way of work. they are ready along with every man and woman who have served -- i am talking about a combatant commanders and cheese -- as is

every single soldier, sailor, murray in uniform to give their last breath to defend america and her allies. they have been down this road before. will served during previous draw-downs have seen the possibility of making the mistakes. we come through these times stronger as a military and a nation. but make no mistakes, does work and these are tough times for our military family. this one is gone to be maybe the toughest yet, and at least it will be different. this will be the first with an all-volunteer force. there's no mass demobilization. we did not modernize over the much -- over the last 10 years, so equipment is alter and there's no peace dividend on the horizon for reasons i described previously. we will have to find opportunity in the midst of this fiscal crisis. we need to seize the moment and need to do so to think differently and to be different.

we cannot do it alone. we need the help of our elected officials to give us the certainty, flexibility, and time to make change. if we can get reforms to pay in compensation we need, and we need them, and if we can get rid of weapons and infrastructure we do not need, then we can begin to restore the versatility of sustainableorce at a costs. as i stand here today, i do not yet know whether or if for how much our defense strategy will change, but i predict it will. we will need to look at our assumptions and adjust our ambitions to match our ability, and that means doing less, but not doing less well. it also means relying more on our other instruments of power to help underwrite global security. we will not do this well if we do not back the development with sufficient dollars. and our partners will have to work with us and collaborate

with us on accepting a greater share of the risk. some are more ready and willing to do that than others. i have to say the united arab emirates is almost -- is our most credible and capable ally, in the gulf region. our first line of defense has been and will be our people. they are our greatest strength. we were live on the leaders to think and innovate as we navigate our challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. i should probably close while i ofhad in this equilibrium optimism and pessimism. i hope i sense a bit that you might feel a little better about things as a result of this conversation. you are starting to reconcile these competing realities and staying strong with the fewer dollars tricks if so, you should also feel good about yourself. it was scott fitzgerald is set

to testify for raced intelligence is the ability to hold two ideas in your mind at the same time. if that in fact is the definition of intelligence, i can certainly tell you that i am there and i suspect you are as well. ambassador, i am sure there is someone with that kind of genius and intelligence in this crowd who is armed for your first question. you, i did come here today with the intent of assuring you that we will lead our way through this. the conditions are not making it easy to do that, but none of us that serve in uniform, when you who serve your country in civilian life, the diplomatic corps, i do not think any of you signed up for anything easy. easy was not part of the job description. we will get through this, but we will get to it mostly because of

the application of leadership, thinking, creativity, and a commitment to each other. that is the message i want to leave you with a 42 questions. we have had a shared future. we have shared the future. we have an interest in sharing the outcomes as we move ahead, and that will always be the case and always factor into the decisions we make about distribution of forces, partnering, and gauging come all the things we have done through the past 25 or 30 years to make short that the middle east in particular is on a path for greater security and stability on the basis of our common interests and values. with that, i will take questions. there went the podium. stand up. will

if i get a tough one, i have this little tap dance i have worked out. >> it is quicker to run out of the door. >> i will stay standing. i am grateful to you for coming and getting us comets. i would ask you that you wait until you are recognized. i think we have microphones. that you identify yourself, that you only ask one question so everybody has had a chance and that you ask your question in the form of a question, which is not to make a long statement and say what you think. >> i have never seen that. >> not in washington. i might start. cooperation,bout most of what we are protecting in the gulf is the trade of energy between the gulf and

asia. as we talk about burden sharing, what is the world for partnerships, while the country's already close allies and countries which are not allies, but which are relying on an energy from the gulf? should we be thinking about that differently in the budget context you have described? >> that is the argument you here. like 27like this -- things the united states can achieve a level of independence. why would we continue to be concerned about the energy that flows out of the gulf? my answer to that is i did not go to the gulf in 1991 and stayed there for about the next 20 years because of oil. that is not why i went, not what my children wet. we went there because we thought that a region of the war where we had not -- except for a few bilateral relationships, where we had not invested in me --

much of our band with in intellectual energy, commitment -- we went there in 1991 because of the-- because aggression of hussain, but we went there because the future of the region was typed our future, and not too distant, oil, but rather through the shared interest in a common feature where people would be able to build a better life, where threats could be managed collaborative the. not by the united states uniquely, but by the relations we would build on the basis of common interest. when i hear about in 2017, will will not be as big a factor for us, that is great, i hope we achieve energy independence. i can assure you that at least from a military perspective, and i can only speak as i dress, from the military perspective,

that the continued development of capabilities, military cabal it -- capabilities, notably the mark and partnerships and trust that we built by working together, by exchanging officers and noncommissioned officers in our professional military schools, on that basis you will find that the future will be a period of greater commitment. if you major our commitment in terms of the number of bids on the ground, aircraft, aircraft carriers, there will be this debate about inclining or declining commitment, but that is not what it is all about really. i went to the gulf in 1991 and spent almost the next 20 years there, on and off, and did not do it for oil. >> we have a microphone. >> hi.

thank you for those lovely comments. my question dovetails with jo n's question. based on your withdrawal from iraq, afghanistan, pivot to asia, is the u.s. committed to the gulf region and the middle east in general? if you could elaborate a little more on the general commitment in the region, and if the answer is yes, how can we find more ways to demonstrate that commitment? >> the answer is yes, and expanded answer to that would indeed be how can we find ways to demonstrate our commitment differently. this notion of withdrawing from iraq and afghanistan, as somehow indicative of less commitment to the region, i really would like to react to that. andent three years in iraq,

what you have to say -- and we are all aware that tomorrow is the 10-year anniversary and the debate goes on about whether we should have, whether it was worth it, and that debate will go on. even if it is in this room, we all decide that we have a common answer to that question, it will go on, and its shadow on, and we should always be introspective about the things we do. my personal belief is that having given iraq and opportunity -- first of all, there is no longer a strong man, the dictator, and the threat to the region by the name of saddam hussein, that there was. secondly, and importantly, we have given the iraqi people an incredible opportunity. say what you will about whether week -- whether it was kind of a clean path to that opportunity or it was one fraught with

gaineds, opportunities come opportunities lost, of course it was. we really did give them the opportunity. today we have in iraq a partner, not an adversary, and it remains to be seen still, about how strong a partner they are willing and can become, but we have a partner. -- see your point, it was inevitable that at some point our presence in iraq would reduce as they were asking for and given the opportunity to take control of their own destinies, and that will play out in afghanistan over the next few years. but that is separate and distinct from our commitment to engage with, a partner with, collaborate with our important partners with the region, and not majored in turns carrier battle groups, but rather in terms of the kind of

collaboration's we have with the united arab emirates, where you are seeking to build your capabilities, where we are eager to help you do that, where we do thengs like exercises, light exercise a few months ago, 24 nations participating, that is the future, not necessarily the united states of america sitting there with half of the united states navy positioned in the gulf, but rather a strategy, and long-term strategy but that is feasible, given resources available that will allow us to achieve some common objectives. i can tell you that with the united arab emirates in particular, but the other strong allies we have, saudi arabia, jordan, and if i start taking them down, someone will say, why didn't you mention me, but the point is we have incredible allies in the region who will remain allies.

we have to figure out how you can do more so we can do less, but that does not mean less well. >> your question over here. wait for the microphone. >> hello, general dempsey. allies in the region are concerned about iran, not only its nuclear program but its involvement in local politics and the economy, support for proxies'. if you had the opportunity to sit quietly with the supreme leader of iran and talk to him, talk him out of whatever he appears to be intending to do, what would you say to him about u.s. intentions at u.s. cooperation with our partners in the region? >> i would send dennis rodman over there. [laughter] the truth is the first thing i would do i would ask why they

are doing what they're doing and i would like to hear it from him personally. because we know of course what his surrogates and proxy's are doing. i would like to know from him they close by the way, you know in that region that the three countries that have always been country, iran, turkey, egypt, they are the cornerstone of that region. it does not mean that we want to be like them or anyone want to be like them, but we have to account for the fact that those three countries are the historic cornerstones or and points of that region. the first thing i would like to is what is a they believe the future holds for the region and why are they apparently, it seems to me, on a path to try to dredge up old

animosities among sunni and shia, things that frankly in this time in the world history they should be able to find and more peaceful way to pursue. whether their economic aspirations -- the persian people, what are the aspirations of the persian people? and again, why they think their current behavior will achieve theyresult, as fundamentally, not only discount anything that we believe is a in our national interests, but what the nations in the region believe is in their national interests. if i had a chance to sit with the ayatollah, i would ask him exactly what are you hoping to achieve there. frankly, because we think we know what he is seeking to achieve, and we think it is unacceptable -- we have said so, not only to the united states

but the region -- but i would like to -- again, this at -- and i'm not going over any more than what dennis rodman with -- but i think that question about how they see what they are doing and their national interest, unless it is to in fact create sunni- shia divide and had iran and the name of shia as i become dominant, if that is their aspiration, they are in a path that we will all find unacceptable. sir? >> general dempsey. >> happy st. patrick's day. syria,nt to touch on recognizing what the difficult problem is, the defenders of the that definitively big problem. in srebreniza, as a

potential trigger to radicalization in europe. the heady days of the arabs democratization seemed a long time ago. had you think the west's failure to act in syria will affect the american people's relationship with the people of the middle east? >> i am not ready to put my in the rockand put of guilt and failure in my rucksack. i am suggesting to you that i am not quite in the cap to suggest that we're sitting here having failed in the region. look, let me start with your characterization, the heady days of the arab spring. the heady days of the arabs bring our planning out like anybody should expect them to

play out. when strongmen are overthrown historically, the first generation that takes their place struggles, and that oftentimes the next generation that takes their place will overcompensate, and it is the third generation generally that gets it right, right in the sense of balancing the need to of the center with the needs of the people. years into the air of spring and we're ready to declare it a failure? that is premature, frankly. i do think the guy coming over here with this big stick steers me a little bit. ok. friendly? ok. the heady days of the air of spring are creating a complex days in between the arabs spring and whenever it becomes. that is something we need to monitor, watch, help shape in the sense of through our

partners in the region. now let me say about syria, because you mentioned syria in particular. as a student of that part of the world now for about the last 20 years, syria opposes the most complex set of issues that any one could ever conceived, literally, in every facet. and when we talked about what is it that we hope to achieve in syria, that is a tough question- answer, and we have some national interests that run from issues related to the chemical and biological weapons, the heavy weaponry, partners in the region and their security, turkey, israel, and jordan, but also iraq. we have some humanitarian concerns. this is one of those cross-

cutting issues, but in the middle of all that is the fact that about six months ago we had a very opaque understanding of the opposition and now i would say it is even more opaque. six months ago, the situation was -- seemed to me to be very unclear. the number of groups seemed to be very unclear. today that number and that issue seems to be even less clear in some ways. path, whichink that is a path to build consensus among partners, a path to do collaborative estimates of the situation, to plan not only for what is happening today, but the potential for the day after, add commonlyas it is called, we are doing that. but i do not have a -- i would not compare -- first of all,

because historical comparisons generally fall apart pretty quick -- i am not sure that the comparison of this situation to bosnia stands that test, and i think we should be doing everything we are doing with all the instruments of power, but the military application of power should be the very last instrument we employee. we are doing planning, so that i can provide options. again, i do not think -- i cannot think at this point i can that wouldary option create an understandable outcome, and until i do, it will be my advice to proceed cautiously. general dempsey, my name is

csi fromam visiting china. my question is about a concept that has been proposed by the u.s. navy and the air force. with your background and experience in the u.s. army, how would you like to if i let the viability and the effectiveness of the asp concept? china, take a trip to next month, right? i wonder how would you like to reply to our counterparts if they raise the question about the asp? finally, i was wondering, do you think that the asp will have an overwhelming capability against the threat we perceive? >> ok, there is a couple of

threads of their i need to pull apart in order to do justice to the question. battle is a strategy, and it is a multi service -- t bibby zero services -- multi ervice cancer to the a2ad challenge. not unique in the pacific. we have an anti-access and i challenge in the gulf, that we have to be alert to. operatingot an concept come a joint operating concept, which is to say operational access. the united states military with partners wants to know if it can maintain freedom of movement in a variety of complex environments around the globe. that is the joint operational

access concept. a subset of that is how the navy and air force are collaborating to achieve that. the army and marine corps also have a role perry to your point about when i am in china about not aimed ate, is china. the united states has interests in the global commons, interest in maintaining freedom of movement, freedom of action, and the things we do at the development of technologies and tactics are fundamentally to guarantee that that freedom will continue to exist, regardless of who is threatening. may i ask you about what you consider is the impact of the non resolution of the palestinian best israeli conflict on the security of the

gulf, and what specific challenge that iran presents now can be enhanced or ignored by the resolution of the conflict? >> identify yourself. >> thank you. peacel, the mideast process and those attempting or intending to continue to seek progress in that regard or dumb started, depending on who you are, is outside the realm of the military man, but i will tell you in most every place i travel, and had a conversation with a counterpart, the very first topic is the mideast peace process has a way to set conditions for greater stability. and i accept that, having lived in that part of the world for many years. i am a strong advocate of continuing that progress of the mideast peace process.

is yetrelates to iran another one of these problem sets. this is the issue of what is iran's intentions in syria, what are its intentions in the gulf, mideast? they aren't a declared enemy of the state of israel. i think all these things -- my approach military family is not look at issues for through a soda straw and say what about syria, and you look through this narrow prism of syria. if you do that and miss the opportunity to understand syria in the context of the region, also in the context of iran, i think it eliminates both vulnerabilities and opportunities. my answer to your question would

be first and foremost that this is a diplomatic issue which i very much encouraged. secondly, i try not to look at issues and -- in isolation because we missed opportunities when we do that. >> did you have a question? if you do, i will call on you. we have to wait. i have my list. "the washington post. " i want to fall on the syria question and post that comparison to libya rather than bosnia. that was a place where the partnership you spoke of certainly with partners in the gulf and europe came into play by the united states an active participant. see all thosed partners, virtually, the british

and french, saudis, advocating more robust supporter for the opposition. and the you heard prime minister cameron last week give an opposite assessment of the position, organization, at the commission from what you just gave. i wonder if there is any thought short of the kind of direct military intervention that he spoke of, any thought given to going the way that of the partners now feel the need to go to, and more support for the opposition, not through direct operations, but more robust training, war weapons, providing more intelligence and just basically following them are participating with them any more robust way? >> i think there are opportunities, and that is exactly the right characterization.

to the libyan comparison, as you recall, the libyan opposition was geographically kind of separated from the regime forces and it was a much cleaner effort to support them from east and west toward the middle. this, as i said before, the challenge with the opposition in syria is that it is multi layered, multifaceted, and it is -- it is kind of ubiquitous, and it has spread throughout the country. pockets in some cases, intermingled in others. we'd very much do believe that the answer to syria it is through partners, because i think there is a greater likelihood they will understand complexities that we would. on my list i have trina,.

ok. >> take you so much. your predecessor much as on numerous occasions that he was concerned about the potential conflict with iran as a result of an accident. he pointed out the absence of communication, in which is must easier to miscalculate which increases the likelihood of escalation. i would like to get your assessment of what you think of the last two years if there has been approved in communication, in diplomacy, at least shut off that potential path toward a military confrontation? >> i cannot speak for the improvement in diplomatic outreach. that is out of my area of expertise, although i am confident there has been several attempts. there is the ongoing p5 plus 1,

which is a venue for contact. militarily, we do exchange in terms of the risk of this calculation and misperception, there are the international rules of navigation which both sides to follow. guard channel, which is a common radio communication among roadors, the rules of the in the maritime domain, which are exercised any time anyone is transiting the streets of hormuz, there are week to press reaching context, aircraft aircraft, that bill on, and to this point i think they have played a role in avoiding misperception and this calculation. on occasion also the iranian effort to expand its

influence, too, as you know, they assert a certain freedom of navigation out beyond the traditional and accepted global standard of 12 nautical miles. they assert a strict baseline that does. in between that traditional 12- mile, nautical mile limit, and what they assert, which can miles, there is- risk in that this calculation. i share the concern, but we have the reteam contacts you would expect, notably mariners and aviators to have, in the gulf. question. chris nelson, the nelson report.

>> you name your report after yourself? >> you can get away with all kinds of stuff. in view of your upcoming trip, but the fall on the last question, crisis management escalation risk, are you optimistic you will make progress with your chinese counterparts on the need for serious u.s.-china discussions on the senior level on how to manage the risk, especially with how our north korean friends have the potential for making problems? myyes, i and, as well with russian counterparts. both of them just changed within the last 12 months, and i have had contact with both of them, one with a video telephcon ference and one with a telephone

conversation. i am, and the way we work that is we acknowledge the points of disagreement or friction between places then we find the where we can work together on common interests absent those frictions, and then we try to move toward each other from the bottom up. we already have a very robust engagement at the service level with our chinese counterparts, and so you will see me try to connect that with a strategic level engagement. look, i have said we already had a conversation about what is this rebalancing to the pacific really mean, and i was able to explain to them that it is my military belief that it will --

it would be our absence, not our presence in the pacific, that would lead to a miscalculation and misperception. that our presence there, even from time to time well -- we will misunderstand each other, but we will work through those misunderstandings because we are there. if we were not there, i do not know on what basis we would have that kind of engagement. he seemed to accept that, and i intend to pull that string as we go and meet each other with their families, by the way, because i do believe that most of what we accomplish we accomplished on the basis of relationships and the effort to try to achieve some level of trust. so i will give that my best shot when i am over there next month. >> the chairman has to go. i will be grateful if you stay in your seats while he leaves, but please join me in thanking

him for being here. >> at me and by thanking you for andchance to come over here discuss at have an exchange about the extraordinarily challenging issues that confront us. everything from the practical issues of threats to our national interests, all the way back to how do we match ends, ways, and maeans. i promise you we will figure this out. where one budget deal away from forgetting about all these issues, really, and i'm counting on our elected officials to deliver that deal, and in the meantime, we will manage -- i should use the better phrase -- we will lead our way through this and if you're listening to this or if you are a partner from the region that will go

back home and report on what the chairman of the joint chiefs said, you can take it to the bank that we will remain, the partners you will enjoy, and you will be the partners that we have enjoyed for the last 20 years, and i can only see a future where we become strong work together. thanks very much. [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2013] [captioning performed by national captioning institute] >> you are looking at the next industrial revolution.

these tools and power people to make this. and it works by building up layers of plastic until your model is done, and then you take out and you have something. home, itue is not your is where you go out, to your coffee shop, and you see an open network. you do not know what the guy next to you is doing. we had to develop things to work on these phones. no one else has done that. >> i checked in today. >> since he has a fever, we can do a visual sample to look at the patient's year, nose, and threat. , our vision is to create access to health care and pharmacies across the country and the power of the systems and dr. to be there where it is convenient as

a consumer and had a brilliant experience with health care. -- in latest in commuters communications from the consumer electronics show, tonight at 8:00 eastern on c-span2. and more private first lady, elizabeth monroe refused the tradition of making social calls. she spoke french inside the white house and gained a reputation of being queenly. we will explore her relationship with our husband and her successor. adams see how lisa played her role. we will include your comments tonight at 9:00 eastern on c- span and c-span3, also on c-span

radio and c-span.org. in about 10 is back minutes at 6:30 for a few votes on measures debated earlier. we'll have live coverage. --sident obama noting to beated thomas perez the next labor secretary. here is that announcement. >> ladies and gentlemen, the president of the united states, accompanied by thomas perez.

>> thank you. thank you. thank you. everybody have a seat. as i have said before, my top priority as president is doing everything we need to do to make sure we are growing our economy and that we are strengthening our middle class. as i said in the state of the union address, every day we should ask ourselves three questions -- one, how do we make sure america is a magnet for good jobs, two, how do we need to equip people for good jobs, and, three, how do we make sure that hard work pays off in a decent living? have are the challenges i instructed my team and cabinet to focus on, and a position that is instrumental to tackling this challenges is having an outstanding secretary of labor.

thanking begin by hilda solis and her entire team, [applause] including the acting secretary harris, for the outstanding work they have been doing or the past four years. their efforts have given more young people a chance to learn new skills, more turning vets the chance to find a job, from construction sites to coal mines, they have stood up for workers to organize, for women to get paid equally for the work they do. extraordinary an job fighting on behalf of working families across the

board. i am proud to nominate a leader to carry on those efforts as america's next secretary of labor, tom perez. like so many americans, tom knows what it's like to climb the ladder of opportunity. he helped pay his way through college as a garbage collector and worked in a warehouse and he worked to become the first lawyer in his family. if you are willing to work hard, it does not matter where you come from, you can make it if you try. tom has made effecting that promise for everybody a cause of his life. as a civil rights attorney, as an aide to senator ted kennedy,

as a member of montgomery county, maryland, county council, he has helped level the playing field where working families can get ahead. this is not the first time he was chosen to be a labor secretary. we have here maryland governor martin o'malley, and martin appointed tom as the secretary of maryland's labor department, where he implemented the first living wage law. in his current role, he has opened pathways for everyone willing to contribute, including people with disabilities, with lbgt americans, and immigrants. while he has tackled plenty of tough issues, tom has spent a

career as a consensus builder. he has worked with federal, state, and local government levels, and he understands our economy works best when the middle class and those working to get into the middle class have security they need on the job, a democratic voice in the workplace, everybody playing by the same set of rules. he will make an outstanding secretary of labor, and there is plenty of work to do. we will have to work very hard to make sure that folks find jobs with good wages and benefits. we have to make sure our veterans returning home have a chance to put their incredible skills at work at home. we need to build an immigration system that works for everybody. i am confident will be able to work to promote economic growth, but make sure that that growth is broad based, and he

will be an integral part of our team. thee are a few of challenges working families out there are facing and where they need an advocate. tom is the right person for that job. i hope the senate will act quickly to confirm, so we can work to address all these concerns. i want to thank tom and his wonderful family for agreeing to take on this new role. i heard tom has been coaching basketball and baseball. he does not claim to be a great coach, but he brings passion to it. may end up missing a few of the games over the next several months, but it is going to be for a good cause, and i appreciate his family being able to make the sacrifices. with that, i would like to introduce my nominee to be our next secretary of labor, give

him a chance to say a few words, and i urge the senate to confirm him as quickly as possible, mr. tom perez. >> thank you. [applause] thank you. thank you very much. thank you for your confidence in me. [speaking in spanish] it is a remarkably humbling and exciting phenomenon to be here today. my parents taught my siblings and me to work hard, to give back, and make sure the ladder of opportunity is there for those coming after us.

over my career, i have learned progress is possible if you keep an open mind, listen to all sides, and focus on results. i look forward to taking these lessons with me if confirmed to my new role as secretary of the department of labor. as you know, our nation still faces critical economic challenges, and the department's mission is as important as ever. i am confident that together with partners in organized labor, the business community, grass-roots communities, republicans, democrats, and independents alike, we can continue to make progress for all working people. in the coming weeks, as the process unfolds, i look forward to meeting with senators to discuss the labor department's key role, protecting and growing the middle class. i will close again by thanking you once again for this tremendous opportunity. [speaking in spanish]

i look forward to this opportunity to continue serving our nation. thank you so much. [applause]

>> later this week, a debate on republican budget 2014. the members are expected to work compromise on funding for the rest of this year. tole we wait for the house come in, a look at our primetime schedules starting tonight at 9:00 eastern live on c-span, our first lady series continues with the look at the lives of elizabeth monroe and louisa catherine adams and the wives of presidents james monroe and john quincy adams. "the communicators" with a look at consumer tech products and then carl levin andusses defense policy future of afghanistan. we're waiting for the house to votes.for

the speaker pro tempore: the house will be in order. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from michigan rise? >> mr. speaker, by direction on the committee of house administration, i present a privileged report to accompany house resolution 113 for filing under the rule. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title. the clerk: report to accompany house resolution 115, a bill providing for the expenses of certain committees of the house of representatives in the 113th congress. the speaker pro tempore: referred to the house calendar and ordered printed. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20,

proceedings will resume on questions previously postponed. votes will be taken in the following order. agreeing to the speaker's approval of the journal and suspending the rules and agreeing to h. con. res. 18 and h. con. res. 19. the first electronic vote will be conducted as a 15-minute vote. remaining votes will be conducted as five-minute votes. the unfinished business is the question on agreeing to the speaker's approval of the journal on which the yeas and nays were ordered. the question is on agreeing to the speaker's approval of the journal. members will record their votes by electronic device. this is a 15-minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of epresentatives.]

senators who might not support that budget so they will have to democratic senators as well as republicans but no republicans are likely to vote the budget. the republicans will be calling cuts, no taxding increase, balancing the budget of thing.at kind >> republicans say this will be first time in four years that senate democrats have agreed to a plan.ard why is this year different? well, there are a number of things, there's a law

that was passed that says the member of conditioning does not get paid unless there's a budget resolution.

the speaker pro tempore: on this vote network yeas are 394, the nays are 103, with one present. the journal stands approve the unfinished business is the vote on the motion of the gentleman from pennsylvania, mr. barletta, suspend the rule and agree to h.con.res. 18 on which the yeas and nays were ordered. the clerk will rr -- will report the title of the concurrent resolution. the clerk: couse kallen car calendar number 29, house concurrent resolution the greing to use of capitol grounds. the speaker pro tempore: the question is on agreeing to the motion. members will record their votes by electronic device. this is a five-minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.]

the speaker pro tempore: on this vote the yeas are 388, the nays are zero. zero recorded as present. 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the concurrent resolution is agreed to and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. the unfinished business is the vote on the motion of the gentleman from pennsylvania, mr. barletta, to suspend the rules and agree to house con.res. 19 on which the yeas and nays were ordered.

the clerk will report the title of the concurrent resolution. the clerk: house calendar number 10, house condition current resolution 19. concurrent resolution authorizing the use of the capitol grounds for the greater washington soapbox derby. the speaker pro tempore: the question is will the house suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution. members will record their votes by electronic device. this is a five-minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.]

the speaker pro tempore: on this vote the yeas are 38 -- 386, the nays are zero. zero recorded as present. 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the concurrents remain ligse is agreed to and -- resolution is agreed to and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table.

the speaker pro tempore: the ouse will be in order.

the chair lays before the house the following personal requests. the clerk: leaves of absence requested for mr. cicilliney of rhode island for today, mr. george miller of california for today and the balance of the week and mr. nadler of new york for today and tuesday of march 19. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the requests are granted. the chair is prepared to entertain requests for one-minute speeches. for what purpose does the gentleman from pennsylvania seek recognition? mr. thompson: request unanimous consent to address the house for one minute, revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. thompson: thank you, mr. speaker. this weekend i had the honor of joining hundreds of fellow americans at an open carry walk in brookville, pennsylvania, which is located in the fifth district of pennsylvania. as a responsible gun owner i

was proud to join this peaceful gathering among citizens to reaffirm the fundamental significance of an individual's constitution and protected right to bear arms. the right to own firearms has nothing to do with hunting. the second amendment was adopted as part of our constitution to assure the safety and security of our nation, our states, as well as our families, our homes and our personal selfs. many of my constituents are alarmed at the gun control proposals being considered in the u.s. senate for fear they violate the sacred constitutional right. i share this concern. when it comes to violence prevention, i believe there are areas of policy that can be improved upon, especially in the area of mental health. the people of brookville and so many others across this nation want this body to come together on solutions to thwart future acts of mass violence. but they will not tolerate and i will fight against any violation of constitutionally protected rights. yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the

gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> mr. speaker, i want to congratulate the hayward education foundation which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. this organization was founded by a hayward school teacher, elaine adams, in 1983. this nonprofit grants money to hayward school teachers with creative ideas to inspire and enrich their educational experience. in 2012 grants were given to the butterfly garden at longwood elementary, a solar cell carat brett hart middle school and a college motivation program at hayward high school. in its 30-year history the foundation has given out over $1 million. mr. swalwell: i want to acknowledge the board of directors, diane mcdermott, rick bar that will mue, paul hodgers and penny hodges, guy sandoval, bruce roberts, maria servin, don evans and bill lue.

hayward's motto is the heart of the bay but it is the heart and mind and forward thinking of these individuals that really enriches hayward and makes it such a special place to live. i want to congratulate them on their 30th anniversary and wish them well in the next 30 years and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. for what purpose does the gentleman from illinois seek recognition? >> i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> thank you, mr. speaker, i rise today in support of the university of illinois, which i'm prourd to represent its flagship -- proud to represent its flagship campus in champaign-urbana. it plans to build a research facility which will attract

researchers from all over the world this lab will operate on the principles of innovation and entrepreneurship. this will be a center of long-term, large-scale research projects that will unite the best and brightest of the university of illinois, the city of chicago, and government and industry. while at the same time give a high profile image for the university of illinois in the chicagoland area. illinois' biggest technical challenge is retaining its talent. 3 % of university graduates from the u of i get jobs in california alone. this project's goal is to retain the next generation of illinois-grown talent with hopes they'll grow existing companies or start new businesses. i am proud to recognize the continuous advancements made by the university of illinois on all of their campuses. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. for what purpose does the gentleman from tennessee seek

recognition? >> to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. cohen: i rise today to share my concerns about the keystone xl pipeline, the proposed decision of which is waiting for the administration. last year, 84 of my colleagues introduced a bill to approve the construction and maintenance of the keystone xl pipeline. one of the first scientists to warn of the danger of carbon fuel has likened the building and use of the keystone pipeline to the lighting of a carbon bomb -- game over. when you brush aside the studies by oil companies and analyze pure scientific studies, every analysis clearly demonstrates the pipeline poses major threats at every turn in its extraction, refining and consumption. the truth of the matter is the

u.s. isn't even going to be using those fossil fuels, they're going straight to china. in fact the only proposed feasible method of getting those tar sands to china or any other country is by building the keystone xl pipeline to feed into a port in houston, texas. i urge my colleagues to stop the keystone xl pipeline, avoid light that carbon bomb in our country and return our focus to threw treu energy independence flu through renewable resources and energy independence. i yield back my time. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> mr. speaker, since president obama has taken over office, over $6 trillion has been added to our national debt, more than any president in history. since president obama has taken

office, we have had four consecutive years of over $1 trillion-plus deficits. these deficits led to a national debt of almost $17 trillion. mr. marchant: in 2009, the president promised that he would not sign a health care law that adds one dime to our deficits. well, a recent resport from the g.a.o. finds obamacare will add over $6 trillion to our long-term deficits. for the sake of our country and our children's future, we must repeal this massive government overreach into our health care system. the republican house budget does that and therefore i will support it. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from texas seek recognition? without objection, the gentlewoman is recognized for one minute. ms. jackson lee: thank you, mr. speaker. $5 trillion in surplus was

extinguished in the last republican administration, it had been created by president clinton. the affordable care act will help provide the health coverage that is needed by millions of americans. i rise today to speak particularly about texas. some 24% of the population of texas are uninsured. and yet our state government has refused to accept the expanded medicaid. so today, mr. speaker, i make a public plea on behalf of the millions of texans who get up and work every day, who do not have health insurance, to be able to have a state government that is ignoring their plea, that is to have expanded medicaid to provide health insurance for working texans and poor texans. those that work as well below the minimum wage. it seems selfish that the concerns of those who lead state government are all political and not in any way concerned about the mothers and

fathers and children who all the medical professionals from county governments to private practice have said expanded medicaid coverage, if taken by the state of texas, like florida, like ohio, will save lives. do it now. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back. are there further requests for one 46 minute speeches? -- further requests for one-minute speechs? under the speaker's announced policy of january 3, 2013, the gentleman from new york, mr. jeffries, is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader. r. jeffries: good evening. mr. speaker, it's my privilege -- in with my colleague >>s is my colleague -- it is my

privilege to join with my colleague, mr. jeffries of new york, to co-anchor this hour with the c.b.c. to talk about something very important right now to the american people. and that is the budget. and who we will balance the budget on as far as how we move forward for the american people. you know, less than a month after the sequester, republicans have presented a carbon copy budget of their austerity plans of the past. the american people spoke loud and clear last november. they believe in investing in our recovery, turning our economy around and getting people back to work. they reject balancing the budget on the backs of our children, seniors, and the middle class. and yet, the ryan budget starts with the premise that the sequester is good policy, that the ultra wealthy deserve another tax break and we don't need to invest in our children

or their future. so tonight, mr. speaker, my colleagues, the congressional black caucus and i will lay out why the ryan budget is a failed proposal for the american people and why we need to support an alternative offered by the congressional black caucus and those who have worked hard to craft it. i would like to recognize our chair of the congressional black caucus, the gentlelady from ohio, ms. fudge, for as much time. ms. fudge: i thank the gentleman for yielding, i thank my colleagues, congressmen jeffries and horsford, for leading the congressional black caucus hour on something of great importance, the federal budget. every year since 1981, the congressional black caucus has produced an alternative budget. it has consistently provided a

balanced approach. the c.b.c. alternative budgets for fiscal year 2014 is a pro-growth, pro-people, pro-america budget. it acknowledges that only by investing in america -- in the american people can you build a bridge to a better america. this message couldn't be manufacturer important as our nation still struggles to recover from the worst economic recession since the great depression. compounding this problem is growing income inequality. america needs congressional leadership to pull us out of our economic ma lace, address our -- malaise, address our fiscal issues and make sure recovery is felt in all our communities. unfortunately, this is where the house republican budget fails. chairman ryan attempts to lead america toward financial success by placing america's most vulnerable on the path to financial ruin osme the republican budget seeks to cut education, including money for

pell grants. it slashes economic assistance to programs like the supplemental nutrition program which could mean eight million to nine million eligible households without benefits. it dismaventles the affordable care act. this means redeucing access to affordable health care for the 27 million uninsured americans who are projected to gain coverage under the law. this is neither the vision that the american people want, nor is it what the american people need. now let's cop trast the c.b.c. budget huned it creates opportunity instead of snatching it away. the c.b.c. budget includes $230 billion in the may want nance and repair for public transit, highways, ports, airports, railroads, bridges and other infrastructure development. $13 billion for work force development, programs like the work force development adult worm program, job corps and other employment and training services. it includes $50 billion to

provide relief to states to preserve teacher and first responder jobs and $50 billion for neighborhood stabilization programs that prvide affordable house, development, infrastructure improvements and other community development needs. the c.b.c. budget accomplishes all this while raising $1 trillion in new revenue to avoid sequestration. the economic recession has damaged our community. trillions of $s in wealth were lost. poverty rates for african-americans and latinos soared to 26% and 23% respectively. america doesn't need an austerity budget. it doesn't need a budget that looks at the struggling american people and says, you're on your own. americans need and deserve more. i urge my colleagues to vote in favor of the fiscal year 2014 c.b.c. budget. thank you very much, uh yield back. >> will the gentlelady yield for a question?

ms. fudge: yes. >> first of all, i want to thank the chairperson for conducting this discussion pertaining this to the c.b.c.'s budget because i think it's the most compassionate budget that will be presented to the house my question for you, madam chair is i just returned from florida, florida ranks first in the last eight months with the number of people losing their homes because of foreclosure. miami being first, orlando being second, jacksonville being eighth. ms. brown: people approach me about jobs. they're not talking to me about the deficit. they want to know what we're doing as far as putting the american people to work. can you expound upon that for me please? ms. fudge: absolutely. i thank the gentlelady. what we have done in this budget, not only did we put in $13 billion for work force training, for job corps, for

dislocated workers, retraining, segment training but in total we have almost $500 billion worth of job creation built into our budget. more than any budget, more than any budget, whether it be the democratic caucus, the white house budget or the republican budget. we have doubled down on jobs in the c.b.c. budget. ms. brown: thank you, madam chair. mr. horsford: continuing on, as the chairwoman of the c.b.c. just talked about, the congressional black caucus budget is an alternative budget for the fiscal year 2014. it puts forth a plan that reduces the deficit by $2.8 trillion over the next decade and creates millions of jobs through significant investments toward job creation that will accelerate our economic recovery and ensure that it's felt in every community across america.

the c.b.c. budget also cancels the economically disastrous sequester that is currently costing between $750 -- costing between 750,000 to one million jobs. the c.b.c. budget creates jobs, while the sequester and the republican budget cuts jobs. and the c.b.c. budget pays for it. to elaborate further, the vice chairman of the congressional black caucus, the gentleman from north carolina, mr. butterfield. mr. butterfield: thank you for hosting this hour, mr. horsford, thank you for allowing us to come to the floor to talk about a subject that's so personal and so important to everyone american. i also thank the chairman, the chairwoman of the c.b.c., ms. fudge, for her extraordinary and intelligent leadership. you have done so much for so many for so long and we thank

you so very much. mr. speaker, just last week, the house budget committee chairman paul ryan, and i think most americans recognize that name by now, chairman paul ryan rolled out his 2014 budget that he and his republican colleagues have called the path to prosperity. well, mr. speaker, it's more like the path to american ruin. he says he's going to balance the budget in 10 years, but he's going to balance that budget if at all on the back of middle class americans and poor people. they use good-sounding terms like strengthening the safety net, but what that really means is cutting programs that help the poor and disenfranchised in our country, programs that good americans depend on every day to survive. . it talks about ending barriers for job creation. what he doesn't talk about is that his budget proposal slashes funding for work force

development and job training and child care. how, mr. speaker, is a single mother of two small children expected to get and keep a job that pace more than the minimum wage? which by the way paul ryan and his colleagues voted against raising. when she has no access to affordable child care or training? chairman ryan and the republicans don't care about that single mother or her children. they care about serving the interests of big business at the expense of ordinary americans. and so the congressional black caucus has offered a budget alternative that i'm very proud of. it is sensible and balanced. we propose reforming the tax code. we propose ending special tax breaks and closing tax loopholes like the mortgage deduction for vacation homes and yachts, eliminating the deduction for derivative traders and eliminating incentives for sending american jobs overseas.

we propose taxing capital gains and dividends as ordinary income, raising about $900 billion over 10 years. these changes, mr. speaker, would generate much-needed revenue. the country has begun to recover. we see it every day in the news and we're moving in the right direction. we are beginning to recover from near financial ruin. but our recovery is fragile and desperately needs a shot in the arm to accelerate our economic recovery. instead the republican-controlled house voted -- thought it best to poison the economy and throw away the antidote. according to leading economists, once sequestration is full yimplemented, america is going -- -- fully implemented, americans are going to lose $2.-- 2.14 million jobs. those are two million jobs that exist now but won't exist later because of politics. the c.b.c. and the majority of

americans believe that sequestration is damaging our fragile economy and that it must be reversed immediately. our budget does just that. our nation's unemployment rate is 7.7% and has been on a gradual decline. but there are still far too many people out of work. to reinvigorate a willing and able work force, the c.b.c. proposes investing over $500 billion in a comprehensive jobs program, including $100 billion for national direct job creation programs, $50 billion for much-needed school modernization and $50 billion to support and maintain jobs in education and law enforcement. we would also dedicate $230 billion to repairing and replacing our crumbling infrastructure including highways and bridges. in order for people to get jobs they so badly need, they need to possess the necessary skills . the c.b.c. budget will work to support and enhance job

training programs through an injection of $13 billion and also help to put young people to work through a $7 billion summer jobs program. when hardworking americans work their entire lives, they have been paying into a system that promised them income security and we must guarantee it. the ryan budget seeks to eviscerate the medicare program as we know it and turn it into a voucher system. that is wrong. they seek to block grant the medicaid program and give the discretion to the states. that is wrong and it will devastate low-income families and more than 35% will be cut from the medicaid program over the next 10 years. mr. ryan proposes to make the change apply to individuals 55 years of age and younger. that's very interesting. what is particularly egregious in closing is that the ryan budget cuts almost 18% from the snap program, amounting to $135

billion. over 90% of snap money as we all know goes to paying for food assistance. mr. speaker, the congressional black caucus and the democratic minority here in the house are serving notice here today, we will not tolerate the unbalanced approach of the republican majority, you must work with us to create a stream of new revenue by closing loopholes that benefit the rich. and we must have a balanced approach to balancing the federal budget. thank you for the time, mr. horsford, thank you for your leadership, i yield back. mr. horsford: thank you, mr. vice chairman. as you indicate, 70% of the american people agree with the c.b.c. plan to have a balanced approach. one that helps to preserve and protect the very programs that you just mentioned and that gets our economy on the focus what have we should be dealing with which is the jobs deficit in this country, not the so-called budget deficit. mr. butterfield: there's no

question the middle eastern people, mr. horsford, want a strong economy -- the american people, mr. horsford, want a strong economy, they want jobs created and they expect us to do it in this house in a bipartisan basis. we've failed to do it and we must do it. thank you. mr. horsford: thank you. over the weekend speaker boehner said, quote, we do not have an immediate debt crisis, we have one looming. it's not an immediate problem. well, what we do have right now is an immediate jobs deficit and we should be focused on getting the american people back to wrork and that's what -- back to work and that's what the congressional black caucus alternative budget does and to talk about the focus on jobs and investing in our future, the woman who fights for the people of florida, the gentlelady from florida, ms. brown. ms. brown: thank you so much and thank you for your leadership. you know, i really do believe when you're born you get a birth certificate and when you die you're going to get a death certificate. and that little dash in between is what you've done to make this a better place and i

really want to thank the congressional black caucus for your leadership, for what you have done, being the conscience of this house of representatives. a house that have lost its conscience. now i come from florida and our state now ranks number one in foreclosures. and why is that? there's a direct correlation between if you don't have a job you cannot pay your mortgage. and so the congressional black caucus budget invests in jobs. i am so sick and tired of this house position, what i call when i was coming up, reverse robin hood. robin from -- robbing from the poor and working people to give tax breaks to the rich. the congressional black caucus budget on the other hand invests in education, save the

jobs -- saves the jobs of teachers and first responders. what else does it do? it makes investments toward rebuilding our neighborhoods and we all know for every $1 billion that we spend in nfrastructure it generates 44,000 permanent jobs. now, i want to say something about the fact that you can tell something about an organization or a group or your church or your club as to how you spend the money. that's how you can tell. and you can tell whether you care about the children, the disabled and the elderly. coming from florida, the home of claude pepper, i want you all to know, be very clear, that i will not vote to cut social security, medicaid or medicare. you know what? we did have an election and i

want you to know the people of florida weighed in. and you can fool some of the people some of the time but you can't fool all of the people all of the time. and the people of florida have spokeen -- spoken. they want us to work together and they want jobs now. they understand that 20 years from now, 20 years from now we need to correct social security and other things but today when i go home, the only question they ask me, whether i'm in the dollar store or the nail store or in church, they want jobs and they want us to work together to bring those jobs to the community. i really do believe to whom god has given much, much is expected. and we really need to expect more out of this house of representatives. the people's house. i yield back the balance of my time. mr. horsford: thank you,

congresswoman. as you indicate, in addition to the c.b.c. alternative budget focusing on the jobs, maintaining the jobs we have and creating new jobs, the c.b.c. budget also preserves and protects social security and medicare. it rejects the idea of voucherizing care for those who have paid into these programs their entire lives. instead it strengthens these programs to guarantee a safe and secure retirement for our parents and our grandparents as well as the generation to come. something that you and other members of the congressional black caucus have fought for for many years in this body. ms. brown: i just want to add one other thing. i will never forget that newt gingrich said that he wanted medicaid and medicare to wither on the vine. and that is the philosophy of these people that control this house. wither on the vine. mr. horsford: well, these are

vital safety programs that save millions of families, many of which we serve here in the congressional black caucus, these programs save them from poverty, like snap and tan i have -- tanf, they are enhanced. so those who are struggling to get by are given not a handout but a hand up in meeting the needs to survive for themselves and their families. and we will continue to fight to preserve and protect these programs. ms. brown: absolutely, sir. because absolutely, coming from florida, failure is not an option. thank you. mr. horsford: thank you. mr. speaker, i'd now like to turn to the physician who is in the house. we have one of the experts in health care, someone who knows how important the affordable care act is and the preservation of the affordable care act. i find it interesting that the house republican budget calls or the repeal of the

affordable care act but yet they take the money and use it to balance their budget. so how can they balance their budget and repeal affordable care act at the same time? i'd like to yield to the gentlelady from the virgin islands, delegate, representative christensen. mrs. christensen: thank you and thank you for yielding and repealing the affordable care act is going to cost this the country exponentially in the years to come -- this country exponentially in the years to come. they're doing the exact opposite of balancing the but the in the long run. but i have to ask the question, just how much more austerity account american people take and still survive? the recession which is struggling to recover has been bad enough. but with past cuts, the sequester, the c.r. and now the republican 2014 budget, this is threatening to make a bad situation even worse. i want to focus on just the hits that health care has taken. from rosa delauro's report, we learned that since 2002, labor,

health and education programs have endured cuts of 7% resulting in a nearly $12 billion reduction in funding in 2012. going forward the digs cessionary budget cap -- the digs cessionary budget cap -- discretionary budget cap are set to cut over $9 billion or 5.4% in 2021. altogether this will result in a 12% per capita cut or a nearly $22 billion cut to labor, health and education programs in 0 -- 2021, when compared to the 2002 levels. these cuts will weaken these critical programs that protect the public health and safety, promote and develop our work force and ed cailt the next -- and educate the next generation of americans. if we just rook at -- if we just look at the programs under the department of health and human services, here's a partial list. in 2012 health resources and

services administration have seen a $2 billion reduction which includes a $194 million reduction to the program which provides critical funding to support training new health professionals. the centers for disease control and prevention has had a $122 million reduction. the national institutes of health, a $1.2 billion reduction from 2002 levels. and the substance abuse and mental health services administration has seen $813.3 million reduction. all of these reductions, all of these cuts were in place even before the sequester and they're adjusted for inflation. but then to add insult to injury, the first of this month sequestration triggered an estimated 5.3% cut resulting in another cut of approximately $7.5 billion from labor, health and education programs. these cuts and those across all of the other government agencies and programs that provide jobs and needed services were the reason that we said that the sequester

ought to have been stopped and why we still insist it needs to be repealed. then there's the continuing resolutions for the balance of 2013. would it end the sequester even for this year? no, it won't. the house bill would cut $75 million to state health access grants and $276 million to funding among other important programs. further the c.r. underfunds priorities that are critical to crack down on fraud and health -- in health care and social security and help working families. it does not include a requested $949 million to implement the health insurance exchanges. their c.r. does not include a requested $567 million increase for health care fraud and abuse control and for social security disability reviews and s.s.i. eligibility determination.

if these weren't bad enough, the republican continuing resolution that was passed in the house does not include $35 million in emergency aid funding or $10 million for the part c medical clinics that president obama announced would happen on world aids day in 2011. while all of the cuts to health programs are problematic, these cuts are especially devastating because the part c medical clinics are there for financially and medically needy populations that need their service. so our goal -- so are those all the cuts republicans are proposing? no, they are not. they are proposing to pass a budget for fiscal year 2014 and the republican budget would take the cuts in health programs hurting millions of americans even further. it would cut $810 billion from the medicaid program over the next 10 years and make it a

block grant, which as we heard in testimony at today's hearing at the health subcommittee would jeopardize health care for children, the disabled, the elderly and the poor. the most vulnerable in our country. it would raise medicare eligibility age and turn it into a voucher for future beneficiaries, shifting costs as much as $6,000 per year for those beneficiaries. and it would repeal all the funding, as mr. horsford said, kneed to implement health care reform. essentially repealing the affordable care law and repealing insurance for over 27 million americans. that is a heartless budget. its values d do not represent the values on which this country was founded and certainly not those of the nation under gd. the democratic alternative is a better budget for our country, it ends the sequester, funds the affordable care act, and makes sensible cuts to safety

net programs. given the recession the republicans have put us in that's more needed than ever. stop o has a doc fix to cuts to medicare. but the congressional black caucus, pro-growth, pro-american people budget goes further. the democratic budget has adopted some of our key positions. the c.b.c. budget doubles the investment in housing, infrastructure programs, it does all of this and still significantly reduces the deficit and it protects social security, medicare, and medicaid and all the safety net programs. it too begins with ending the sequester and fully funding the affordable care act. i'm proud of the congressional black caucus this year as i am every year and commend congressman bobby scott and his team for another job well done.

this body and the other must reject the republican, the ryan republican budget. everyone can and should support and vote for the congressional black caucus budget but i'll tell you it would be far better to pass any one of the democratic alternatives. they're all better for our country today and better for our future and with that, i yield back the balance of my ime. mr. horsford: let me thank you for your hard work in fighting for quality health care for all americans. you know, my grandmother suffered a stroke when i was only nine weeks old. she went into a coma. when she came out of that coma she was paralyzed on the left side of her body. for the next 27 years, she lived in a nursing home and it was that nursing home that allowed her to have the quality of life that she did have until she passed away in 2000. now as a young boy, i visited

my grandmother virtually every week in that nursing home and i didn't know it was medicaid or her disability that were providing for her care but that's the reason she was able to live as long, and i know now that there are parents and grandparents who are depending on those programs more now than ever before and that's why the c.b.c. budget works to preserve and protect these programs. it's the people's budget as you refer to it, and our values are the values that protect those who are not able to always protect themselves. versus an austerity budget that looks out for more for comp rat interests and special interests than for the people. i want to thank you again. it's my grandmother's legacy and so many other parents and grandparents who are in her situation, that remind me every day what it is we're supposed to be doing here in the people's house system of thank you.

-- people's house. so thank you. i'd like to now turn to representative barbara lee from california. someone who i know this week particularly as we talk about ending the war in iraq, she is someone who stood early on saying that we didn't need to go to war and the deficit spending that occurred in the previous administration is the reason that we have the deficits that we do. and now they want to balance the budget on the blacks -- on the backs of the middle class and the poor and not take responsibility for the decisions that were made in the previous administration. so thank you for standing up and standing tall and we'd like to yield to you the floor at this time. ms. lee: thank you very much. let me thank the gentleman from nevada for his tremendous leadership on behalf of the people of nevada and also thank you for those kind words an thank you for really helping to put together not only this

special order tonight on behalf of the congressional black caucus but for your leadership on so many fronts. thank you. let me just first say, i served as a member of the budget committee and i have seen close hand the republican vision for our country's future and believe you me, it is not a vision of shared prosperity or economic growth. having a sound and balanced alternative like the congressional black caucus budget exposes the republican budget for the disaster that it really is. the republican budget shortchanges 99% of the american people so it can give even more tax breaks to millionaires and to billionaires and to protect tax loopholes for special interests and big oil. at a time when we need job creation the most the republican budget would kill more than two million american jobs in 2014 alone. that's unconscionable. cutting infrastructure development would also kill jobs that are important to our

communities, jobs in the construction sector, in the public transit sector, these sectors ememployee many people that other sectors do not employ. the republican budget would take away food from hungry children and families, take thousands of children off head start and close the door to college for thousands of graduates next year. 2/3 of all the republican budget cuts target programs for people who are poor or low income. and communities of color would be the hardest hit. communities of co-already still bear the brunt of the last economic recession. unemployment remains high. as of january, 9.7% of latinos, 13 ppt 8% of african-americans were unemployed, compared to the national average of 9%. and income inequality continues to grow. federal unemployment benefits already under sequestration would face greater cuts under this ryan budget as we proposes

an additional $900 billion in cuts to nondecision cessionnary spending. the republican budget vision of america is very clear. their budget would shred the social safety net, shatter our economic recovery and push millions of struggling families over the edge. in stark contrast, the congressional black caucus budget serves -- says we can choose a different way forward. it's a document that show ours nation's priorities and values, for after all, a intudget a moral document. the c.b.c. budget protects and enhances social security, medicare, medicaid, tanf, all our vital safety net programs that save millions from poverty. we believe strongly in savings derived from changes to social security, medicare, and medicaid should be used to extend their solvency not to pay for tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires and we do not support cuts in benefits. for four decades, many of these

prals have received support as the first line of defense against hunger and alleviating poverty, helping to ensure vulnerable families in our nation that they have a stable life. while protecting important anti-poverty program, the c.b.c. budget makes investments in infrastructure, poverty reduction, innovation, to strengthen the economy for all. i'm proud of the fact that the c.b.c. budget includes supporting language for developing a national strategy to eliminate poverty with the goal of cutting poverty in half in 10 years. 50 million people in the wealthiest and most powerful country in the world are living in poverty. 16 million are children. we have also included in you are budget a formula that leader clyburn continues to champion, that's our 10-20-30 formula which targets resources, 10% of federal funds into certain accounts where

there has been a poverty rate of 20% or the -- over the last 30 years. that is extremely important as we begin to cut poverty in half in 10 years. the republican budget, of course, is a pathway to poverty. would cut the social safety net programs, jobs, as well as programs that serve as a bridge over troubled waters for millions of low income and vulnerable families. the fact of the matter is when the economy grows through sound policies and investments and lifts up struggling families, everyone benefits. also, let me just mention the section with regard to national defense. congressman horsford, thank you very much for reminding is about these two wars, quite frankly, that have been off budget and that are responsible for the deficits and for the welcome of jobs and the unemployment rates we see throughout our country. our congressional black caucus budget brings our defense spending in line with our legitimate, mind you, our legit

mast security needs and we also have a -- our legitimate security needs and we also have growth as it relates to investing in our national economic security here at home. whatever savings can be achieved, we put into mental health, veterans health and also support and research treatment for traumatic brain injury. also in -- let me just remind you that the spenk the only federal agency not subject to an audit. the pentagon has lost tens of billions of dollars to waste, fraud, and abuse. there have been reports of suitcases full of dollars, u.s. taxpayer dollars, being stolen or lost as it relates to iraq and afghanistan. so we've got to be able to audit the pentagon. our budget uses the $300 billion of the savings for cuts also to the ballistic missile defense program to implement

the remaining g.a.o. recommendations, i think we have now 1,682 of them which would save about $89 billion. so our budget insists that we begin to audit the pentagon. that's a very important function that the congressional black caucus understands very clearly. finally, let me just say, we restore harmful cuts to the military tuition assistance program. i can't believe the republicans would cancel military tuition assistance for veterans who have fought so hard in these wars. don't they deserve better? the congressional black caucus deserve -- believes they deserve better system of we restore those harmful cuts. the c.b.c. knows they can do better. we know shared prosperity is the most important key to sound growth and sound fiscal policy system of first let me just urge everyone reject the rues now republican budget and to support the c.b.c. alternative budget. i have to thank congressman bobby scott and the budget task

force and all the staff for their tremendous work and their support for putting forth and writing a budget really that speaks to the aspirations and to reigniting the american dream for all americans. thank you and i yield my time and thank you again for your leadership. mr. horsford: mr. speaker, can i confirm how much time we have remaining? the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman has 21 minutes remaining. mr. horsford: thank you. at this time, i'd like to yield to the gentlelady from california, representative bass, who as a former legislator, like myself, has dealt with these type of brutal, across-the-board cuts proposed and having to work across party lines in a bipartisan way to find commonsense solutions. i think it's that commonsense that we need a little bit more of here in washington, d.c. i'm pleased to yield the time to